Jez George hailed the contribution of Josh Coulson both on and off the pitch as the Cambridge United stalwart looks forward to his testimonial.

The U’s chief executive goes back a long way with Coulson, having coached him in an after-school club at Colville Primary School, and then been his manager in the academy at Cambridge City and, from 2006, at United.

And he felt the 28-year-old centre-half deserved being honoured with a testimonial dinner in May and game later this year.

“I think they’re extremely rare in modern football because players tend not to have a loyalty to a particular football club,” said George.

“It’s even more unusual for the player to have loyalty to the club in the city they grew up in, supporting that football club.

“If you add in the difficult times Cambridge United have had in those last 10 years, I think Josh is more deserving of a testimonial than any player could ever be.

“Therefore it’s really important the club and everybody gets behind him and has an opportunity to let him know what we think of his brilliant service to the club and what he does off the field as well as on it.”

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Besides jokingly referring to Coulson’s miss at home to Manchester United in the FA Cup in 2015 – the goalless draw ensuring a money-spinning replay at Old Trafford – George said the memory that would stick with him was a clearance in a 1-1 draw at home to Hayes & Yeading in 2011.

“It was probably the most important game I managed where we needed a win to stay up,” said George.

“We had to win it because the last two games were against York and Fleetwood and Jordan Patrick came on and scored with his first touch.

“Then it was 10 minutes of surviving and I just remember even now a ball got smashed across the face of goal at the South Stand end and Josh has got to get a touch otherwise they score and it’s just looped over the bar and landed on the roof of the net.

“If that had gone in as an own goal, that would probably have meant we’d be relegated.

“He was a big part of the team that stayed up when we were scrabbling to avoid relegation from the Conference and I don’t think you can underestimate the inspiration Josh was for loads of young players at a time when coming through was much more difficult than it is now.”

George added Coulson would also be presented with the United community player of the year award before tomorrow’s home game with Leyton Orient.

Coulson’s testimonial dinner, which will be hosted by Soccer AM host and United fan Max Rushden, takes place at the Cambs Glass Stadium on May 13.